Statement by Bishar A. Hussein, Director General of the UPU International Bureau on the occasion of World Post Day, 9 October 2018

The Post: Delivering good to the world

Every day around the globe, postal services make a difference in the lives of people and communities. By providing affordable, trusted and reliable communication services to all, the Post is delivering good to the world.

The more than 600,000 postal outlets globally are used by private citizens and businesses to send letters, parcels and remittances, and also to conduct financial transactions and philatelic activities, even in some of the world’s remotest places.

Communities everywhere rely on the Post’s unparalleled physical delivery network for its traditional services and to achieve their broad development goals.

Driven by its universal service obligation, the Post promotes social inclusion by striving to ensure that all citizens have access to its communication services, including people living in remote places, on isolated islands, and in disaster-prone areas. The Post also promotes financial inclusion by providing financial services to millions of unbanked individuals, as well as affordable and secure remittance services for migrants. For many people, the Post is the only channel for vital education, health and security information.

In the current digital age, the Post has positioned itself as a major player in global e commerce. Its “one global network” approach makes the Post an obvious delivery partner for businesses selling online. Customers choose to do business with the Post based on its track record of being trustworthy, reliable and affordable.

Small and medium-sized businesses seeking to expand into international markets can turn to the Post as an easy and affordable channel for export. With a resilient supply chain that incorporates cross-border security and customs facilitation, the Post offers exporters a one-stop-shop experience.

Even for the big e-commerce integrators, the Post is the best partner for last-mile delivery services. This is because the Post not only has the largest physical network even within individual countries, but is also the only reliable service for delivery to remote and marginalized communities. The Post is a true partner for all.

To mark World Post Day this year, we have chosen the theme ‘The Post: Delivering good to the world.” We encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate our gallant postmen and postwomen, whose daily dedication is a testament to the mission of the Universal Postal Union: delivering universal postal services for all in order to facilitate communication between all citizens.

The Post has delivered good to the world for centuries – through the trusted postmen and postwomen in each community. As we mark World Post Day today, let us celebrate trust, reliability and security as the hallmark of postal services worldwide.